Self-lubricating axle-spindle.



No.. 654,702. Patented July 3|, I900. E. E. BAKER.

SELF LUBRICATING AXLE SiINDLE.

(Application filed. m 20, 1899. Renewed June 21, 1900.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

ELIJAH E. BAKER, OFHYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- THIRD TO JAMES E. BAKER, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 654,702, dated July 31, 1900. Application filed May 20, 1899. Renewed June 21, 1900- Serial No. 21,088. (No model.)

of Massachusetts, have invented certain new;

and useful Improvements in Self-Lubricating Axle-Spindles, of which the following is a de scription sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains or with which it is most nearly connected to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to means for supplying the spindles of vehicle-axles with a quantity of lubricating substance in such manner that it may be transferred to the surfaces of the spindle and box of the wheel-hub as required,which contrivances'are commonly known as self-oiling axles.

It is the object of'tliis invention to provide improvements whereby any ordinary axlespindle can be readily rendered self-lubricating without weakening its construction to an appreciable extent and without interfering with its prime functions.

It is also the object of the invention to provide a self-lubricating device for axle-spindles which can be supplied with a large quantity of lubricating substance, so as to make the oiling of the spindle quite infrequent, the construction of the said device being such that the lubricant is supplied'to the surfaces in such quantity only as is essential.

It is also the object of the invention to pro- Vide a lubricating reservoir for the spindle which may be removed and filled and put in proper condition while separated from the spindle and then put into place'without leakage or any dripping of the lubricant frointhe reservoir.

To the foregoing ends the invention consists of the improvements which I will now proceed to describe in detail, and particularly point out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings, and to the letters marked-thereon, forming apart of this specification, the same lee ters designating the same parts or features, as the case may be, wherever they occur.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal central sectional view of a vehicle-axle spin dle and. wheel-hnbbox, showing the inventionapplied thereto. Fig. 2 is a cross-sec- -tional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

chamber in the reservoir. .Fig. 5 is a par tially-sectional view of a spindle and box in side elevation, showing the invention in a slightly-modified form from that in which it is represented in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a crosssectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. .5.

The nature and scope ofthe invention will be understood by those skilled in the art from the followingexplanation.

In the drawings, a, designates a vehicleaxle terminating with theusual tapering spindle b, upon which the wheel-hub (not'shown') containing the box 0 is slipped and held in place by the nut- (1, turned on the end of the spindle. In carrying out the invention a channel is formed in the upper side of the spindle, ex-

tending longitudinally thereof from the outer end to or near the inner end. This channel may be of any form desired, though I prefer to make it, as herein shown, with vertical sides and a flat bottom, the inner end of the latter curving upward to the surface.

e designates a lubricating-reservoir formed from suitable material and of a size and form matching the channel made in the spindle. This reservoir is provided with a chamber from the inner side of the nut 11 to its inner end and hasa closed bottom and closed sides, so that none of the lubricating substance therein can leak or drip therefrom. The top of the reservoir is also closed or covered excepting for a limited distance, as from f to g, which forms an opening through which the lubricating substance may be supplied to the reservoir and into which a wick or piece of felting h is placed, through the medium of which the lubricating substance is'supplied V by capillary attraction to the surfaces of the spindle and box. At the ends fand g of the the spindle, .or the end of the reservoir may .be made .plain.an.d the nutturnedup against the shoulder thereof, as is shown in Fig. 1-..

l The channel in the spindle may be formed bya milling-machine with a milling-tool ofg suitable constructionand capability,'an 1,thej reservoirmay be madeof sli-ghtly-lessdepth than the channel, so that it can easily be in-. serted in the latter when the wheel ison the spindle and be raised by contact of the in- I clined end with the inclined bot-tom oft-he inner endofthe ehannel: t

In use when it is proposed to oijl the spindle all that'is-necessary is to unscrew the 5c nut 01, draw the reservoir out, take out'the Wicklor felt piece h, ifill the chainberwith the flu'hricating.substance, insert the reservoir in wthe2channel,land screw on the nut. 7

- Theffactthat the reservoir has closed sides and aiclosed :bottom renders it practicable to --remove it from thelspindle and refill "it witha out i'drippingiorspilling the lubricating sub- .stance therefrom and without soiling-clothf 'iinglorJundulysoilingthehands. o 5

'- "'llhe-ch-aractersof .thereservoir is such that it vmaybe supplied with a bountiful quantity lofthe lubricating substance, so asitomakethe f oiling of "the axlean infrequentnecessityr The wick or feltipiece h can be made of any 1 substance that will .supply'the lubricant by V -capillaryattraction in requisite quantity to; ithesurfaces of thespindle and box.

' Having thus explained the nature .offth'e invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, thoughwithout at-j it may be made/or fill-Of lihG'iIIlOdQS of its use, it xisldeclared that w hatis claimed -isl. A self-lubricating axle-spindle provided with alongitudinal channel, in combination with a lubricating-.reservoire constr-uctedio Efi' ihejchannejl', i hlle lfrsaid i,reservoirhaving a closed bottom, closed sides, and a close-covered top excepting between the points f and g where it is-provided with a longitudinal opening, and a wickh'coextensive with the said opening inserted therein, substantially as set 2; A self-"l ib catin axle-sp provided were longitudinalchann'el, a lubricatingi'reservoir to match the channel, hayinga closed bottom 'andclosedsides', 'a'nd an open- ).ing in'the topTPtQEreceWe a wick h; theend of i the reservoir ibeing screw 'threaded ito correspond with theiscrew-threaded :end of the ispindle,'substantiallyas set forth. h

A' lubricating reservoir for self lubri- ,cating axle-spindles having a closed bottom curved upwardly at itsinner end to the top, closed verticalsides, and a close-covered' top excepting between the points f and gwhere it isprov-ided with a longitudina'l'opening 'for "the reception of a wick, substantially-as set :forth. V. i a

I In testimony whereof'fl have signed my name to thisspecificatiomlin the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this SOthday of March, A. D. 1899.

my ELIJAH BAKER.- Witnesses;

J. EDWARD BAKER,

'teinptingto set forth all of the forms in which v STEPHEN L. HUGHES. 

